A number of years ago, a faculty colleague and I decided to take 14 American university students to India for a short term (14 days) study abroad opportunity. We had the distinct pleasure of having Mr. Samir Bakshi be our local guide and escort as we navigated the Golden Triangle of northwest India. The trip exceeded all of our expectations and Samir was key to that experience. He was professional, knowledgeable, and never hesitated to answer our questions or provide context for anything we were experiencing during our travels. Whether we were in the field scouting tigers, or visiting holy sites in the heart of urban Delhi, Samir’s good-natured and helpful attitude put everyone at ease and provided the perfect environment for learning – for students and faculty alike. As I reflect on my lifetime of travel experiences, this trip to India is among the highlights. I cannot recommend his services enough!

It was great to renew our acquaintance with Sameer Bakshi. My wife Wendy and I first met him at Tadoba NP some twelve years ago when he was our guide. We had a wonderful experience and were so impressed with his superb knowledge of Indian birds and mammals. We have kept in touch with him ever since and had no hesitation in asking him to arrange a tour of a couple of tiger reserves in North India as a fitting end to our Gujarat and Rajasthan trip. We left it to his discretion on where to go and were not disappointed. Everything went smoothly, the accommodation was comfortable and homely, the transport spot on and the animal sightings were beyond our expectation, especially the leopards at Rajaji. We even managed to experience a fantastic early morning visit to the holy pilgrimage site at Haridwar whilst in transit between Pilibhit and Rajaji. Recommended. Sameer is a dedicated and committed wildlife expert, his knowledge of birds and birdcalls is second to none. We will be back again my friend! 

I visited the Satpura Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh in May 2022. I was lucky enough to join a group that had planned a trip at the last minute. Even though it’s been a couple of years , I have vivid memories of the trip. It was a memorable trip and Sameer was a great organiser. He booked our hotel and organised the jeeps into the jungle. He also organised meals for us and was very responsive to feedback. Aside from logistics, Sameer was a great help in the jungle itself. He is so very knowledgeable about the jungle, particularly about birds. I learned so much about birds, and came back to Delhi wanting to learn much more. Most importantly, Sameer was a helpful, kind and fun group leader who planned carefully, paying attention to details and to the needs of the group. HIs interactions with forest guides, drivers, and other staff was always very respectful and clearly they knew and respected him too. I’ll definitely go on another trip with Sameer if I can.

We were led on a trip to Kanha National Park by Sameer. The trip was wonderful with great sightings. Getting so close to a huge male tiger and witnessing a Dhole kill be highlights. He also was able to show us some smaller creatures like a flying squirrel, which we wouldn’t have thought of. The other highlight was how Sameer led the tour. He is extremely knowledgeable on all the wildfire, as well as being very respectful to it. Sameer combines this with a special personality that makes it feel your trip is being led by one of your best friend. This led to some great evenings all chatting away. I couldn’t recommend Sameer highly enough.. The best guide we have ever had.